The military connection and environmental hazards of space-based nuclear power

The potential dangers associated with space-based nuclear power have alarmed many specialists. There are two principal reasons: a) Space-based nuclear energy sources have been declared to be a key part of the military Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program. Even in the absence of current military interest in space nuclear reactors, the existence in space of a considerable number of civilian nuclear sources would always provide a temptation for ideas of space militarization. b) Nuclear reactors deployed in near-earth orbits are a potential source of radioactive fallout that would be dangerous for the population of the entire earth. Multi-kilogram plutonium-238 radioisotope thermal generators (RTGs) would also be a dangerous source of radioactive contamination on a global scale. Below, we consider these objections in more detail.